Bournes Green Junior School

Strength through Wisdom

BGJS COMMUNITY FORUM

Bournes Green Junior School is committed to the creation of a fair and just school community that promotes social inclusion, community cohesion and equality. We respect diversity and challenge and act upon discrimination and inequality. We strive to ensure that the culture and ethos of the school reflects the diversity of all members of the school community, but also looks beyond the immediate context of our school community to all include communities within this country and beyond. We welcome our duties as a school under the Equality Act 2010 as both a provider of education and as an employer. We recognise that we have a duty under the Education & Inspections Act 2006 to promote community cohesion.

Who are we?

The Bournes Green Community Forum is a team of stakeholders including parents, governors, staff and sometimes pupils who are committed to progressing and monitoring a number of key areas in school, for example:

Equality and diversity related issues and promoting best practice.

Promoting and monitoring our status as a Healthy School.

Ensuring pupils, staff and other stakeholders have a clear voice, are valued and most importantly listened to.

What do we do?

The Community Forum holds meetings as needed and is made up of governors, parents, staff and sometimes pupils. We meet to exchange ideas about how to make the school accessible and fair for everyone and how to improve key areas of the school.

Here are some of the things that we have achieved already:

Monitoring/Evaluation of the School’s PSHE/SRE Policies.

Pupil Perceptions focusing on learning behaviours and pupil safety.

Review of practices relating to reporting to parents; including a review of our School Report format.

Road Safety Project – culminating in a poster created by the School Council to remind parents/carers about safe parking around our school site.

Renewal of our Healthy Schools Status.

How can I get involved?

We always welcome new recruits to the team. Please speak to Mrs Reddihough if you would be interested in joining our team or if you have any links to local businesses/community projects that the school could get involved with. If you could complete the following School Equality Duty questionnaire and return to Mrs Reddihough this would be really helpful in contributing to our target setting and action planning as a group.

Feedback from the Community

Following our Healthy Schools renewal moderation visit from the Local Authority in March 2019, we received the following feedback:

“Your school has a wonderfully caring, friendly feel. Everything is so well organised, and everyone’s health and wellbeing including staff seems well taken care of. We were incredibly impressed by the P.E curriculum and the wonderful range of inclusive sports and activities, all of your children are offered. We loved the way that all children are included in the activities, including competitions where possible. The plans to develop the swimming pool will improve things even further. The extensive grounds of the school are utilised so well, with every area offering a different opportunity. Children were engaged in an extremely active playtime. The PSHE curriculum is well thought out and follows the lead of the PSHE Association with some elements personal to the school. The ‘Empathy’ addition to each year group’s PSHE through story books was a wonderful part. Children are encouraged to evaluate their lessons and there is a comprehensive assessment system for all subjects including P.E and PSHE. Children have a wonderfully rich education with many opportunities. All year 5 children learn a brass instrument. There are a number of themed weeks including ‘Unique Week’. There is also a special day each term for instance the Family Picnic, MAGS and FUDGE days. Where family members enjoy time at the school with the children. Every Tuesday parents are invited into the school for a ‘Book Look’ which maintains a close relationship between staff and parents. Children eat healthy packed lunches provided by their parents as well as healthy snacks. There is a positive atmosphere in the music filled dining hall. The importance of hydration and sleep is reiterated to children who have a good understanding of this. There is a strong caring ethos pervading.”